The Muppets

(G) WDSHE DVD/BD

Gary (Jason Segel) and his puppet brother Walter (Peter Linz) grew up together in “Smalltown”. Despite their happy childhood and close friendship Walter always felt different — until he discovered The Muppet Show.

When Gary and his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) plan a 10th Anniversary trip to LA, Gary invites Walter along. Walter is ecstatic about seeing Muppet Studios, where he overhears a plot by greedy oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to drill under the Muppet theatre for oil and steal the Muppet name.

Walter, Gary and Mary hunt down a lonely Kermit the frog and convince him to get the old gang back together for one last fundraiser show to buy back the theatre. What ensues is a hilarious montage in which we find out what all the Muppets are up to now, including Fozzie Bear (whose jokes are still terrible), Gonzo the daredevil, angry Animal and — of course — the dramatic Miss Piggy.

Back together once more, the old gang begin rehearsing for their new show with disastrous results and kidnap Jack Black, forcing him to host. There are countless celebrity cameos, the best and funniest of which is by Jim Parsons (Sheldon from Big Bang Theory), who appears unexpectedly in a way that I won’t give away.

James Bobin (the man behind Flight of the Concords) directs with flair and Jason Segel has written a screenplay filled with song-and-dance numbers and loaded with irony and sly humour. It is this self-deprecating humour that makes The Muppets work. It is as if he has decided that if the Muppets poke enough fun at themselves, there will be no room left for anyone else to do so.

The Muppets will surely be a favourite for the kids and nostalgic entertainment for an older audience. The attempts to warm your heart can become a little tired and the plot seems pointless at times, thrusting together as many characters and cameos as possible. But at least it delivers laughter and fun.

Jasmine Edwards